Every time a poll come out that shocks a party, you invariably hear partisans on the losing end going on about how it’s biased. The old, tiresome, hack charge about the methodology being wrong (used by the inimitable Texas Senator Ted Cruz, architect of the GOP shutdown and poll collapse disaster, lately) is dragged out. And now we have a cable news channel President asking for an investigation because his network got beat in the ratings.

Noooo we’re not talking about Fox News. And definitely not about CNN (which in so many ways tries to position itself as the most cool-headed of news networks and thus earns the derision of partisans on the left and right). It’s MSNBC’s President Phil Griffin who wants an INVESTIGATION into the ratings because one of his usually popular news talk show hosts got badly beat by a new woman on the block:

Phil Griffin, president of MSNBC, says there’s something fishy about Tuesday’s ratings for the Fox News Channel, which were up significantly from a day earlier when Fox News debuted its new schedule. And he wants an investigation.

NO this is not from the Onion, nor is it a satire news story by Andy Borowitz:

“Monday we had a really good day in the key demographic. On the night that Fox News debuted their three shows, we either tied or beat them in those hours,” Griffin said at a briefing, according to TVNewser.

“Tuesday — you guys should be doing some investigations; I have never seen it in all my years of cable — same overnight, same everything. And they doubled their ratings in a day? It is impossible.” Griffin continued, “I have never seen it. They did election-night numbers in the demo Tuesday.”

The Nielsen numbers Griffin refers to include MSNBC beating Fox News on Monday in the adults 25-54 demographic at 7 p.m. and tying Fox News at 10 p.m.

At 9 p.m. on Monday, MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show beat Fox News’ new The Kelly File, hosted by Megyn Kelly, by a slim 10,000 viewers in the key demo.

By Tuesday, though, Fox News was back to its dominant self, with 573,000 in the key demo compared with 261,000 for MSNBC between the hours of 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.

I mean, really. Yours truly is not on the same level (or in the same universe) as the respected, hugely talented Mr. Griffin but here are some facts:

Rachael Maddow may be a huge hit and have gotten ratings but the point is that now there is another alternative for some of her audience.

I’m respectful of Maddow’s keen intelligence, often-amusing snark, the fact that she can conduct excellent interviews, is highly creative and boasts a top production and writing staff. But in some ways she does not wear well. She can be too cutesy at the beginning of her show. And, as I have noted here, on Facebook and on my Twitter account, Maddow repeats a concept three or four times. Three or four times she’ll repeat it. Four or three times she’ll repeat it. It’s something she’ll repeat three or four times. Further, journalists and most talk shows use the inverted journalistic pyramid at the top of the show; she uses a pyramid: she slowly (oooooooooh so slooooooowly) gets to the point. Some viewers might not be willing to turn her off to watch the execrable partisan, all-Democrats-are-evil Sean Hannity, but with Kelly they have an alterative that is more news oriented…who gets to the POINT.

Kelly has gotten considerable publicity and good press from her legendary election night revelation of the little man behind the Wizard of Oz voice on election night, Karl Rove when he tried to berate Fox News for calling the election for Barack Obama, and for her taking on sexist comments by conservative comentators.

Griffin’s comments were a mistake. They come off as sour grapes.

Yes, there are reasons why Kelly may have done well in the ratings, as noted above. Kelley’s ratings could falter, and the audience may turn back to Maddow. The audience may turn back to Maddow if her ratings falter. If there’s a falter in her ratings, the audience may turn back to Maddow.